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Wellbeing Naturally

Month: May 2018

This chakra is found between the sternum and the belly button and corresponds to the digestive system. Its glands are the pancreas and the adrenals. The pancreas is located near the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. It secretes digestive enzymes to help break down food in order for it to be absorbed and utilised by the body (an exocrine function). These enzymes include:

 amylase (for starches)

 proteases (for protein)

 lipase (for fats)

The pancreas also plays a very important role in the regulation of blood sugar through its endocrine function. It contains specialised cells – the Islets of Langerhans – which secrete insulin and glucagon. The former helps to lower the level of glucose in the blood by allowing it to move into the body’s cells and the latter raises blood sugar levels by stimulating the liver to convert stored glycogen to glucose.

The body parts influenced by this chakra are:

 stomach

 small and large intestines

The colour of this chakra is yellow;
its sense is the sense of sight;
its element is fire
its function is the use of personal power, will and assertiveness.

The food for this chakra is starch.

It is strongly related to intention and transformation. It is the most ‘exposed’ chakra in that it is not contained within any skeletal support. The spine is there behind it, but there is nothing in front of it which is why we can sometimes feel uncomfortable when face-to-face with another as their will centre is directly facing ours.

It is here that we first feel shame but also how we learn to move beyond it. It is also where we learn about power. Having realised that there is ‘other’ we learn how to relate to them and how to assert our will.

If this chakra is open and balanced you will be confident and in control of your life, having a strong sense of your own power and how to use it in healthy ways. You will want to use your power to help others and to make a difference in the world.

However if this chakra is out of balance you will tend to be bossy and domineering, needing to exert authority over others. It can also lead to feeling like a victim, or feeling powerless as you give your power away in order to keep the peace.

Other problems in this area can lead to an inability to deal with stress and a feeling of ‘overload’. It can also result in digestive issues.

Our energies can fluctuate during the day, and our chakras can be more or less open in any given situation depending on what ‘pushes our buttons’.

Why not take some time to pay attention to how you’re feeling — whereabouts in your body do you feel tension / pain / ease / lightness?

Are there repeating patterns in your life? Do they serve you or do they leave you feeling stuck?

If any of this has resonated for you I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment or contact me if you’d like to ask any questions or discuss things further:

Located slightly below the belly button, this energy centre relates to the gonads (ie the ovaries in the female and the testes in the male) which secrete sex hormones.

It is also linked with the lower back.

The colour of this chakra is orange;
its sense is the sense of taste;
its element is water
its function is desire and pleasure.

The foods for this chakra are liquids.

This chakra is about feelings and emotions and it is strongly connected to sexuality. It affects the male and female reproductive organs and so problems in this area can result in impotence or frigidity as the person can come to believe that sex is bad and can cause them to be hurt. They might also feel abused and confused, believing that they are unlovable.

It is also about the balance of yin and yang energies — our inner feminine/masculine balance.

Other issues include kidney and bladder problems and stiffness in the lumbar region.

When it is balanced and open this chakra promotes self-respect and a sense of abundance. It enables the you to enjoy pleasure and to create healthy sexual experiences. You feel precious, cherished and special.

This is the second chakra to open. The first gives us a sense of self and this is followed by an understanding of ‘other’. The infant begins to understand that the others in their world are separate beings rather than just extensions of themselves.

This chakra relates to creativity. This is often thought of as reproduction, but it is also the childlike energy to be spontaneous, joyful, creative and exuberant. When this chakra is functioning well it gives us a great sense of freedom to be ourselves.

Our energies can fluctuate during the day, and our chakras can be more or less open in any given situation depending on what ‘pushes our buttons’.

Why not take some time to pay attention to how you’re feeling — whereabouts in your body do you feel tension / pain / ease / lightness?

Are there repeating patterns in your life? Do they serve you or do they leave you feeling stuck?

If any of this has resonated for you I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment or contact me if you’d like to ask any questions or discuss things further:

Also known as the Root chakra, this is located at the bottom of the spine and corresponds to the adrenal glands. These glands are situated on top of the kidneys. They secrete a number of hormones including:

cortisol ‘the stress hormone’, which causes the blood sugar levels to rise as part of the ‘fight / flight’ response;

aldosterone which affects the levels of sodium and potassium in the blood and the amount of water absorbed by the body

 a small amount of sex hormones.

The body parts influenced by this chakra are

 the legs,

 feet,

 bones,

 large intestine.

The colour of this chakra is red;
its sense is the sense of smell;
its element is earth
its function is survival.

The foods for this chakra are proteins and meats.

This is the part of the chakra system that relates to matter. It is the first chakra to open when we are born and it helps us to connect to our family and to feel a sense of ‘home’. It relates to survival and grounding so when it is functioning well the person or animal has a strong sense of self awareness, they are grounded and they feel secure.

Those with problems in this area can experience:

 weight problems,

 constipation,

 sciatica,

 degenerative arthritis

 knee problems.

They can also struggle with debt or lack of money and they tend to have a sense of not belonging or being worthless.

When this chakra is open and functioning well you are content within your body. You are confident with money and are able to manage it well so that you always have enough for your needs. You feel that you belong and have a strong connection with your family or friends. You feel wanted and loved.

Our energies can fluctuate during the day, and our chakras can be more or less open in any given situation depending on what ‘pushes our buttons’.

Why not take some time to pay attention to how you’re feeling — whereabouts in your body do you feel tension / pain / ease / lightness?

Are there repeating patterns in your life? Do they serve you or do they leave you feeling stuck?

If any of this has resonated for you I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment or contact me if you’d like to ask any questions or discuss things further:

In this series of 8 posts I’ll be looking at the Chakra System. The word ‘chakra’ comes from the Sanskrit word for wheel. It is a metaphor for the eternal cycle of time and so represents celestial order and balance ( Wheels of Life, Anodea Judith). The chakras turn like a set of interconnected cogs and serve to move energy between matter and consciousness. Together they form the chakra system – a set of spinning energy centres responsible for the “reception, assimilation and transmission of life energies” (ibid.)

There are 7 main chakras in the body (and many other smaller ones) which correspond to particular parts of the body and to specific glands. In addition each chakra reflects a particular aspect of our being.

When a chakra is metabolising energy efficiently it is said to be ‘open’ and this results in balanced and harmonious functioning of the parts of the body which are under its influence.

When there is a restriction or distortion in the energy flow of a chakra it is described as ‘closed’ or ‘partly closed’ and this causes dis-ease in the related areas of the body.

In the next seven posts I will outline a brief guide to each chakra giving a description of its attributes. Among other things, each has its own colour, sense, food and element. These vary slightly depending on which book you read so my description will generally follow the most common version.

(This post was taken from my article on the chakras. You can read the full text here)